Things Change
An: I need to slow down with the updating... It's been almost one a day but I have this story perfectly laid out until a chapter or two from now so I'll just do this on whatever pace I have with this story. Sometimes I'll be on a typing rampage where I have a chapter a day or I'll slow down like my other story and drop a chapter ever couple of weeks. At least once a month though. I promised myself I wouldn't slack off so much that it takes over-a-year to complete a story. But anyways.. here is...
Chapter 3:
Will ended his work just as the sun was burning out making him light a candle in the darkness. While he cleaned up, he looked out the window toward the billowing sails of the ships in the port and begged to see Patricia walking up the alleyways so that he wouldn't have to start the night without her. Could he? Would he? He didn't know. He sighed and sat back in the chair looking at his pocket watch. It was given to him by Elizabeth when they were younger and it was one of his most prized possessions. Half past seven.
"Yes or no. Should I stay or should I go?" he rhymed. "I could NOT go and never let myself TRY to see if I can face Elizabeth alone. Patricia would understand. She almost TOLD me not to go." He flipped the pocket watch in his hand, shut it and put it away in a cupboard. "OR I can go and show everyone that I've accepted that it's all done and over." He liked the latter a lot more. He washed quickly and dressed in his formals. In his hurry, he forgot to blow out the candle.
***
Patricia looked at herself, uncomfortably.
"What a bloody awful thing to wear," she cursed under her breath. She tried to reach around to loosen the corset but to no avail. She sighed heavily and took a deep yet restrained breath. "Well as long as I can breathe." She tucked away a stray hair that escaped the heated curler. "And why did I agree to curling my hair?!?"
"Patricia, dear heart, are you decent?" Jack asked, though only saying it for manners because as he said the words he strode into the room in his new formal wear, looking devastatingly handsome in black and white silks.
"Jack!" she cried out appalled. It was true that she WAS decent already. but still. She frowned at him but smiled when he looked at her. His eyes weren't AS lined with kohl but still slightly darkened. It suited him better. She laughed as she saw him moving just like he was in the morning, yet suited like a noble that he mostly wasn't.
"Why, LOVE." Jack looked at her, just as startled. He stared appreciatively at her red dress that exposed her toned shoulders and long neck. He followed a chain that hung from a choker to a ruby gem dangling right over the valley of her cleavage. "Stunning." She blushed and turned away.
"Liar." she muttered.
"I'm hurt, doll. I do nothing but tell the truth. Well, shall we be leaving then milady?" Jack offered his hand and she took it smiling.
"Of course we shall. We shouldn't keep the guests waiting." Jack hooked their arms as they walked down a plank to the alleys. They walked in silence though Jack was humming a song underneath his breath. Patricia turned to look at the blacksmith shop's window. She sighed in disappointment seeing the candle light flickering behind the glass.
"I don't think Will shall be coming," she sighed putting her head against Jack's arm. Jack looked at her quietly.
"Ain't that a shame. Why may I ask not?" He crinkled his nose as the hair piled high on her head hit his nose and poked his chin. "Your hair... It's... It's... " He sneezed as the strands irritated his nose.
"Sorry," she laughed. "He has problems with. one of the hosts." Jack noticed her changed wistful tone and put two and two together.
"From the sound of your voice, I'd find it safe to say that the one he has problems with is the female host..." He took her silence as an agreement. "Elizabeth Swann Norrington is it not? I've seen her. What a beautiful thing. Golden tresses. Peachy complexion..." He felt the girl on his arm slightly tense. "But you're thrice and a more beautiful than her," Jack hastily added. "Why must every woman insist upon being more beautiful than every other woman?" Jack asked.
"I don't," she whispered.
"Bah... not true dearlove. I felt you grow..."
"We're here," she interrupted. She handed the invitation to Jack, who handed it to a chamberlain at the door. She looked around in the beautiful house as she stepped in. The crystal chandelier hung over their heads glistening in moon and candle light. She saw the faces and saw no one familiar, looking back longingly at the window outside, where she could imagine Will lying in bed asleep. "What in bloody hell am I doing here?"
Patricia heard the notes of a violin playing a happy waltz and felt Jack tugging at her arm.
"Remember when you called me a liar when I called you stunning?" he whispered hurriedly. She nodded, blushing. He pointed towards the left to a group of men, smiling at Patricia and slowly making their way towards her. "There's your proof that I wasn't."
" Le bon soir, mademoiselle. Soigneriez-vous pour danser?" The first man appeared before them. It was obvious he was one of Toulousse's men. Patricia, having never been asked to dance, blushed as red as her dress. Jack grinned and pushed her hand to the man's.
"Go ahead," he said. "I'll have you the rest of the night and my eye is on some things." He looked at the table where the man was serving, what else?, rum. Patricia smiled softly and was led to the dance floor by the blond haired French.
***
Elizabeth surveyed the crowd from the top of the stairs, looking just as bored as Patricia. She had no idea why this was so necessary but she guessed that it was just part of being the wife of the commodore. She sighed but then her eyes fell on Will's head hovering impatiently by where the refreshments were being served. Elizabeth smiled. 'In dire need of a savior and you can always count on Will to be there.'
Will looked up briefly and did a double take as his eyes met Elizabeth's smile at him. She was subtly waving him over. His heart jumped but he quickly put his feelings down as he saw Norrington come up beside her kissing Elizabeth on the cheek, yet he couldn't help it. He had to talk to her... be near her... breath the same air as her. His eyes never left Elizabeth's gold framed face as he made his way past the waltzing couples. He kept bumping into men and women, muttering their indignance. His hands gripped a girl's shoulders to set her aside but as he was about to let go his fingers strayed feeling like the skin felt strangely familiar.
Patricia felt someone grip her shoulder, pushing her away. She was about to turn so she could give whoever the rude guest was but stopped when she crossed paths with proverbial chocolate brown eyes. She stared into them for a moment and was broken away from the trance as they blinked in surprise.
"Patricia?!" Will whispered in surprise. He looked her over his eyes tracing her straight black hair now in curls, her face sparkling with glitter scattered on her eyes and cheeks, the red of her slightly open lips. Her neck was long and her shoulders toned and, like Jack, his gaze was enticed by the black choker from the center leading a gold chain down to red drop grazing the top of her breasts. "Wow..." he choked out. His eyes went to the man who held her hand, and they narrowed warningly at the foreigner. 'How about we break that connection?' His hand took hold of both her hands and looked at the other man.
"Will? What are you doing here?" Patricia asked. She felt his hand go down from her shoulders grazing the skin of her arm then holding her tiny hands in his large palms. She felt her whole body flush with his touch.
"Si vous m'excuserez..." Will said in the little French he knew. The man smiled reluctantly and kissed Patricia on the cheek before turning to take his leave. Will glared at him as he left wanting to wipe away whatever traces he left on Patricia's cheek. He wanted to shout like a child, "She's MY best friend and NOT yours! And I've no intention of sharing!" Will led her through the waltz and noticed that the song was slowing gradually.
"Will, I thought you weren't here," she said happily looking up at him grinning.
"And missed you looking like a princess?" he teased. "Not likely." He laughed at her pink cheeks. "You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear. He was surprised that he cared to admit that. It was even stranger that the sentence rolled out of his mouth so easily especially since it was being given to his best friend.
"Do not," she muttered. "And don't you dare act randomly nice with me. Every man around this room has been acting like bloody vegetables around me."
"Can you blame them? You look... different from your usual state." He felt her hand hit him gently.
"Wonderful... I look like a harpy, don't I?" She started to guide them away from the dance floor. "I feel like a bloody tart in this dress. Not to mention Marie was about ready to strangle me with this necklace, insisting I wear it this low." She shook the necklace disgustedly.
"You look beautiful, love," Jack said coming up to them. Will was about to slap the man away but was appalled at the brilliant smile that Patricia gave him before hooking their arms together.
"Don't be a liar, Jack," she scolded playfully. Patricia was in a higher mood now that Will was there but she didn't understand the tension he gave off as he stood by her, an understated glare hidden by his long eyelashes but she could see it clearly.
"Am not, love. I'm an honest man and this necklace is dazzling on you," he said, "honestly!" His hand brushed on her chest as he scooped up the ruby and held it out for all three to see. Will's mind flared as he saw the skin to skin contact.
'I will remain calm,' he thought exhaling his long drawn breath. 'I will remain civil...' He saw Jack's hand drop the gem, the fingertips touching skin again. 'I will run this complete stranger through with a sword if he touches Patricia again!' Patricia's eyes just remained skeptical as she turned to Will again.
"Will, this is Jack. Jack, Will." She looked at the two and she briefly saw a moment of brief recognition in Jack's eyes as he observed the boy. "Have you ever met?" The question was more toward Jack.
"Not that I remember," Will answered. They reached out to each other's hands and gripped each other as if to see who could break the other's hand off first. They released quickly and turned to look at Patricia.
"Where's Elizabeth, Will?" At first, Will was genuinely confused.
"Who?" Then Patricia gave him an odd look. "Oh! Elizabeth!" His eyes went on search again but he didn't see Elizabeth where she was the moment before. Instead Norrington remained talking to some other men. He noticed that they were stealing brief glances towards them. Will slowly made his way around Patricia so that his back was towards Norrington and hid her from view. 'A MARRIED MAN!' he thought, indignantly.
Patricia turned to see what was behind Will and saw Elizabeth. Suddenly her smile turned forced. Will, saw the strain, and was about to ask why when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Will! I'm so glad you made it!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Wouldn't have missed your return for the world, Miss Swann. I mean, Mrs. Norrington," Will coughed.
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?" she still smiled.
"At least once more, Miss Swann, as always." Will just looked unnervingly happy just looking at Elizabeth and Patricia frowned. Suddenly Will gently hit his forehead. "I mean Mrs. NORRINGTON. Excuse my bad memory." Norrington came up to Elizabeth and took hold of her arm as he acknowledged Jack.
"There, see, at least the boy has a sense of propriety." Norrington said it coldly looking down at Will. Elizabeth missed it but Patricia saw the 'superior' look the commodore was giving Will and Jack and she immediately wanted to slap the expression off his face. Norrington spied Jack suspiciously. "And who is this? I know this here is William Turner and Patricia Taylor, our common blacksmiths." Patricia's temper was slowly rising as he spat out 'common blacksmiths' like a bad taste. "But who are YOU?"
"I, sir?" Jack asked, obviously preoccupied with his free rum. "I. I am Smith. or Smithy, if you like."
"Well. Mr. Smith." Commodore Norrington's hand rested on the hilt of the sword bobbing gently at his side. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Why I'm only here to escort the stunning Miss Taylor here to this 'rassemblement'." Patricia didn't notice that as Jack replied, Will finally tore away his entranced stare on Elizabeth to glare at Jack. "I do lend my hand of congratulations to an equally beautiful wife you have recently acquired."
"I do think it a fact that my wife is more than equally beautiful to Miss Taylor but to each his own." Commodore sneered. Now it was Will's turn to want to kill the man. Before he could snap back, everyone gasped as Jack raised his arm to gulp down another swig of rum, revealing to all the tell- tale mark of a.
"PIRATE!" the commodore exclaimed raising his sword, the point sitting uncomfortably underneath Jack's chin. "I knew it!"
***
CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!! Don't you just love me!?!? Hahah. More up soon. Don't worry! And in case your wondering. YES they will have their on sea adventures. I'm not THAT stupid to ignore the whole point of PotC.
An: I need to slow down with the updating... It's been almost one a day but I have this story perfectly laid out until a chapter or two from now so I'll just do this on whatever pace I have with this story. Sometimes I'll be on a typing rampage where I have a chapter a day or I'll slow down like my other story and drop a chapter ever couple of weeks. At least once a month though. I promised myself I wouldn't slack off so much that it takes over-a-year to complete a story. But anyways.. here is...
Chapter 3:
Will ended his work just as the sun was burning out making him light a candle in the darkness. While he cleaned up, he looked out the window toward the billowing sails of the ships in the port and begged to see Patricia walking up the alleyways so that he wouldn't have to start the night without her. Could he? Would he? He didn't know. He sighed and sat back in the chair looking at his pocket watch. It was given to him by Elizabeth when they were younger and it was one of his most prized possessions. Half past seven.
"Yes or no. Should I stay or should I go?" he rhymed. "I could NOT go and never let myself TRY to see if I can face Elizabeth alone. Patricia would understand. She almost TOLD me not to go." He flipped the pocket watch in his hand, shut it and put it away in a cupboard. "OR I can go and show everyone that I've accepted that it's all done and over." He liked the latter a lot more. He washed quickly and dressed in his formals. In his hurry, he forgot to blow out the candle.
***
Patricia looked at herself, uncomfortably.
"What a bloody awful thing to wear," she cursed under her breath. She tried to reach around to loosen the corset but to no avail. She sighed heavily and took a deep yet restrained breath. "Well as long as I can breathe." She tucked away a stray hair that escaped the heated curler. "And why did I agree to curling my hair?!?"
"Patricia, dear heart, are you decent?" Jack asked, though only saying it for manners because as he said the words he strode into the room in his new formal wear, looking devastatingly handsome in black and white silks.
"Jack!" she cried out appalled. It was true that she WAS decent already. but still. She frowned at him but smiled when he looked at her. His eyes weren't AS lined with kohl but still slightly darkened. It suited him better. She laughed as she saw him moving just like he was in the morning, yet suited like a noble that he mostly wasn't.
"Why, LOVE." Jack looked at her, just as startled. He stared appreciatively at her red dress that exposed her toned shoulders and long neck. He followed a chain that hung from a choker to a ruby gem dangling right over the valley of her cleavage. "Stunning." She blushed and turned away.
"Liar." she muttered.
"I'm hurt, doll. I do nothing but tell the truth. Well, shall we be leaving then milady?" Jack offered his hand and she took it smiling.
"Of course we shall. We shouldn't keep the guests waiting." Jack hooked their arms as they walked down a plank to the alleys. They walked in silence though Jack was humming a song underneath his breath. Patricia turned to look at the blacksmith shop's window. She sighed in disappointment seeing the candle light flickering behind the glass.
"I don't think Will shall be coming," she sighed putting her head against Jack's arm. Jack looked at her quietly.
"Ain't that a shame. Why may I ask not?" He crinkled his nose as the hair piled high on her head hit his nose and poked his chin. "Your hair... It's... It's... " He sneezed as the strands irritated his nose.
"Sorry," she laughed. "He has problems with. one of the hosts." Jack noticed her changed wistful tone and put two and two together.
"From the sound of your voice, I'd find it safe to say that the one he has problems with is the female host..." He took her silence as an agreement. "Elizabeth Swann Norrington is it not? I've seen her. What a beautiful thing. Golden tresses. Peachy complexion..." He felt the girl on his arm slightly tense. "But you're thrice and a more beautiful than her," Jack hastily added. "Why must every woman insist upon being more beautiful than every other woman?" Jack asked.
"I don't," she whispered.
"Bah... not true dearlove. I felt you grow..."
"We're here," she interrupted. She handed the invitation to Jack, who handed it to a chamberlain at the door. She looked around in the beautiful house as she stepped in. The crystal chandelier hung over their heads glistening in moon and candle light. She saw the faces and saw no one familiar, looking back longingly at the window outside, where she could imagine Will lying in bed asleep. "What in bloody hell am I doing here?"
Patricia heard the notes of a violin playing a happy waltz and felt Jack tugging at her arm.
"Remember when you called me a liar when I called you stunning?" he whispered hurriedly. She nodded, blushing. He pointed towards the left to a group of men, smiling at Patricia and slowly making their way towards her. "There's your proof that I wasn't."
" Le bon soir, mademoiselle. Soigneriez-vous pour danser?" The first man appeared before them. It was obvious he was one of Toulousse's men. Patricia, having never been asked to dance, blushed as red as her dress. Jack grinned and pushed her hand to the man's.
"Go ahead," he said. "I'll have you the rest of the night and my eye is on some things." He looked at the table where the man was serving, what else?, rum. Patricia smiled softly and was led to the dance floor by the blond haired French.
***
Elizabeth surveyed the crowd from the top of the stairs, looking just as bored as Patricia. She had no idea why this was so necessary but she guessed that it was just part of being the wife of the commodore. She sighed but then her eyes fell on Will's head hovering impatiently by where the refreshments were being served. Elizabeth smiled. 'In dire need of a savior and you can always count on Will to be there.'
Will looked up briefly and did a double take as his eyes met Elizabeth's smile at him. She was subtly waving him over. His heart jumped but he quickly put his feelings down as he saw Norrington come up beside her kissing Elizabeth on the cheek, yet he couldn't help it. He had to talk to her... be near her... breath the same air as her. His eyes never left Elizabeth's gold framed face as he made his way past the waltzing couples. He kept bumping into men and women, muttering their indignance. His hands gripped a girl's shoulders to set her aside but as he was about to let go his fingers strayed feeling like the skin felt strangely familiar.
Patricia felt someone grip her shoulder, pushing her away. She was about to turn so she could give whoever the rude guest was but stopped when she crossed paths with proverbial chocolate brown eyes. She stared into them for a moment and was broken away from the trance as they blinked in surprise.
"Patricia?!" Will whispered in surprise. He looked her over his eyes tracing her straight black hair now in curls, her face sparkling with glitter scattered on her eyes and cheeks, the red of her slightly open lips. Her neck was long and her shoulders toned and, like Jack, his gaze was enticed by the black choker from the center leading a gold chain down to red drop grazing the top of her breasts. "Wow..." he choked out. His eyes went to the man who held her hand, and they narrowed warningly at the foreigner. 'How about we break that connection?' His hand took hold of both her hands and looked at the other man.
"Will? What are you doing here?" Patricia asked. She felt his hand go down from her shoulders grazing the skin of her arm then holding her tiny hands in his large palms. She felt her whole body flush with his touch.
"Si vous m'excuserez..." Will said in the little French he knew. The man smiled reluctantly and kissed Patricia on the cheek before turning to take his leave. Will glared at him as he left wanting to wipe away whatever traces he left on Patricia's cheek. He wanted to shout like a child, "She's MY best friend and NOT yours! And I've no intention of sharing!" Will led her through the waltz and noticed that the song was slowing gradually.
"Will, I thought you weren't here," she said happily looking up at him grinning.
"And missed you looking like a princess?" he teased. "Not likely." He laughed at her pink cheeks. "You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear. He was surprised that he cared to admit that. It was even stranger that the sentence rolled out of his mouth so easily especially since it was being given to his best friend.
"Do not," she muttered. "And don't you dare act randomly nice with me. Every man around this room has been acting like bloody vegetables around me."
"Can you blame them? You look... different from your usual state." He felt her hand hit him gently.
"Wonderful... I look like a harpy, don't I?" She started to guide them away from the dance floor. "I feel like a bloody tart in this dress. Not to mention Marie was about ready to strangle me with this necklace, insisting I wear it this low." She shook the necklace disgustedly.
"You look beautiful, love," Jack said coming up to them. Will was about to slap the man away but was appalled at the brilliant smile that Patricia gave him before hooking their arms together.
"Don't be a liar, Jack," she scolded playfully. Patricia was in a higher mood now that Will was there but she didn't understand the tension he gave off as he stood by her, an understated glare hidden by his long eyelashes but she could see it clearly.
"Am not, love. I'm an honest man and this necklace is dazzling on you," he said, "honestly!" His hand brushed on her chest as he scooped up the ruby and held it out for all three to see. Will's mind flared as he saw the skin to skin contact.
'I will remain calm,' he thought exhaling his long drawn breath. 'I will remain civil...' He saw Jack's hand drop the gem, the fingertips touching skin again. 'I will run this complete stranger through with a sword if he touches Patricia again!' Patricia's eyes just remained skeptical as she turned to Will again.
"Will, this is Jack. Jack, Will." She looked at the two and she briefly saw a moment of brief recognition in Jack's eyes as he observed the boy. "Have you ever met?" The question was more toward Jack.
"Not that I remember," Will answered. They reached out to each other's hands and gripped each other as if to see who could break the other's hand off first. They released quickly and turned to look at Patricia.
"Where's Elizabeth, Will?" At first, Will was genuinely confused.
"Who?" Then Patricia gave him an odd look. "Oh! Elizabeth!" His eyes went on search again but he didn't see Elizabeth where she was the moment before. Instead Norrington remained talking to some other men. He noticed that they were stealing brief glances towards them. Will slowly made his way around Patricia so that his back was towards Norrington and hid her from view. 'A MARRIED MAN!' he thought, indignantly.
Patricia turned to see what was behind Will and saw Elizabeth. Suddenly her smile turned forced. Will, saw the strain, and was about to ask why when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Will! I'm so glad you made it!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Wouldn't have missed your return for the world, Miss Swann. I mean, Mrs. Norrington," Will coughed.
"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?" she still smiled.
"At least once more, Miss Swann, as always." Will just looked unnervingly happy just looking at Elizabeth and Patricia frowned. Suddenly Will gently hit his forehead. "I mean Mrs. NORRINGTON. Excuse my bad memory." Norrington came up to Elizabeth and took hold of her arm as he acknowledged Jack.
"There, see, at least the boy has a sense of propriety." Norrington said it coldly looking down at Will. Elizabeth missed it but Patricia saw the 'superior' look the commodore was giving Will and Jack and she immediately wanted to slap the expression off his face. Norrington spied Jack suspiciously. "And who is this? I know this here is William Turner and Patricia Taylor, our common blacksmiths." Patricia's temper was slowly rising as he spat out 'common blacksmiths' like a bad taste. "But who are YOU?"
"I, sir?" Jack asked, obviously preoccupied with his free rum. "I. I am Smith. or Smithy, if you like."
"Well. Mr. Smith." Commodore Norrington's hand rested on the hilt of the sword bobbing gently at his side. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Why I'm only here to escort the stunning Miss Taylor here to this 'rassemblement'." Patricia didn't notice that as Jack replied, Will finally tore away his entranced stare on Elizabeth to glare at Jack. "I do lend my hand of congratulations to an equally beautiful wife you have recently acquired."
"I do think it a fact that my wife is more than equally beautiful to Miss Taylor but to each his own." Commodore sneered. Now it was Will's turn to want to kill the man. Before he could snap back, everyone gasped as Jack raised his arm to gulp down another swig of rum, revealing to all the tell- tale mark of a.
"PIRATE!" the commodore exclaimed raising his sword, the point sitting uncomfortably underneath Jack's chin. "I knew it!"
***
CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!! Don't you just love me!?!? Hahah. More up soon. Don't worry! And in case your wondering. YES they will have their on sea adventures. I'm not THAT stupid to ignore the whole point of PotC.